Nissan Leaf

Curious how hard Leafs, the older ones anyway, seem to be on 12V batteries. It's not like they ever have to crank an engine.

I replaced the Panasonic OEM battery in a petrol Corolla… it was 14 years old.

First NCT done on the 2015 Leaf Tekna I bought in NI. Failed first time on windscreen chip and a leaky rear damper. Replaced the rear dampers myself and got the w/screen done by Autoglass. Passed today. Happy days.

From Nissan Leaf owners Ireland Facebook page

How I restored online features with

OpenCARWINGS! ⚡️📱

If you own a first-generation Nissan Leaf, you know the struggle: once Nissan discontinued support for older servers or 2G/3G networks, our cars lost their "smart" remote features. It was frustrating to lose the ability to preheating the cabin before a drive.

But there is a solution — the

OpenCARWINGS project!

What is it?

It’s an open-source project that allows your Leaf to communicate with alternative community servers instead of the official (and now defunct) Nissan servers.

What’s back online for me:

✅ Remote Climate Control (the best part — no more freezing or overheating cabins!).

✅ Real-time battery level monitoring.

✅ Charging timers and energy statistics.

✅ Sending email notification when charging is ending.

The process (in short):

* Hardware: I had to access the Telematics Control Unit (TCU) and replace the factory SIM card with my own (an IoT SIM with a minimal data plan works best).

* Configuration: Using an SD card and specific utilities, I updated the server address (APN) in the car's system.

* The App: Downloaded the OpenCARWINGS app, registered, and magic happened! The car is back online.

Honestly, it feels like I have a new car again. It’s amazing to see how the enthusiast community keeps our EVs modern and functional even after official support ends.

If you have an older Leaf and miss having app connectivity, I highly recommend checking out the project on GitHub or community forums. It’s absolutely worth it!

#NissanLeaf #OpenCARWINGS #EV #ElectricVehicle #DIY #LeafLife #EcoFriendly #ZeroEmissions

That's how we started. We had an E200k and a 7 seater Zafira. Replaced the E200 with a 2014 Leaf when going electric. The 7 seater was left untouched for a couple of months, as both of us only wanted to drive the Leaf. So, we picked up a 2012 bargain Leaf and sold the Zafira. It was cheaper to run both cars when we needed more than 5 seats, but that's not to say we don't miss having 7 seats.

If you get a good battery 24kWh Leaf, it will just about get that 100km 10 months of the year. You will be wanting 11 out of 12 bars. You could get one for around €5k. I did…in October. Found one in NI. 2015 Tekna model. 11 bars. You have to be ready to snap them up when they pop up. If going for a 40kWh model, it's gonna cost closer to the budget, but will give you more range of course.

All Leafs are CHAdeMO for fast DC charging.

Variants - General

Visia/Xe is basic spec. Avoid.

Acenta/SV mid spec. Most common, sat nav. Alloys. Rev camera. (Plus and N-Connecta models may have 360 rev camera, folding mirrors and heated rear seat)

Tekna/SVE top spec. All the above, plus leather seats, larger alloys. Better sound system.

YEARS

2011-2013 24kWh cr@p chemistry battery . Type 1 charge port.

2013-2017 24kWh better battery. Type 1 port.

2016-2018 30kWh battery. Not great and degraded quicker than the 24kWh. Type 1 port.

2018-2022 40kWh and 60kWh face-lift versions. 1 pedal driving in premium versions. Type 2 port.

2022-2025 40&60kWh versions. Mild face-lift to match Nissan current design language. Different grille and wheels.

2026 New Leaf (in name only). Different car. Priced too high imo for now. CHAdeMO is gone at least.

I posted the variants and details list above for you.

What is the budget?

What driving will she need it for? Commuting distance…any longer distances etc.

Does she have a charger and if not, can she have one installed?

IMO, if the budget is there, for around €10k, she can get a very decent 40kWh Leaf, or if she only needs a run around the town, then as little as 3 or 4k will secure a suitable 24kWh. I bought a 2015 one a couple months ago for €4k. Tekna spec. Excellent battery health 11/12 bars. I posted it in here. I was willing to travel up north for it and had the funds ready.